Guy Branston
Well-travelled defender Guy Branston was brought in on an emergency loan deal from Aldershot Town late in November 2012 to help patch up an injury-ravaged Rovers defensive line. With Cian Bolger, Adam Virgo, Tom Parkes and Garry Kenneth all unavailable for selection, Branston provided vital cover. His debut for The Gas came on 24 November 2012, in a 3–3 draw with Bradford City. He scored his only goal in the blue and white quarters just over a minute into the game, which saw him celebrate wildly due to him being released by The Bantams earlier in the year. After Guy made three further appearances for the club, all in League Two, manager Mark McGhee was relieved of his duties. New boss John Ward opted not to use Branston, and even allowed him to return to his parent club before his loan deal officially ended. Career Guy's lengthy list of clubs began with Leicester City, with whom he turned professional in 1997. He failed to make any first team appearances for The Foxes however, but was loaned out to a number of lower league sides where he gained his earliest taste of competitive professional football. His first loan move was to Rushden & Diamonds in 1997, where he made 31 league appearances. This was followed by spells with Colchester United (twice), Plymouth Argyle, Rushden & Diamonds (again), Lincoln City and Rotherham United. He signed for Rotherham on a permanent basis in 1999, and spent five years with The Millers, during which time he was loaned out to Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United. He spent the 2004–05 season with Sheffield Wednesday, during which he had a second loan spell with Peterborough, before moving to Oldham Athletic in 2005, then to Peterborough United for a third time in 2006. While at The Posh he was loaned out twice more, to Rochdale and Northampton Town, and just over a year later he was on the move again, this time playing just a single match for Notts County. He joined Kettering Town late in the 2007–08 campaign, making them his fifth club of the season, where he immediately won promotion from the Conference North into the national division. Then after a full season of Conference Premier action with The Poppies he signed for Burton Albion in 2009. After being loaned to Torquay United during the 2009–10 season, the deal was made permanent in the summer of 2010. He spent a single year with Torquay, moving to Bradford City the following summer, from where he made an on-loan return to Rotherham United. The following year he signed for Aldershot Town, from where he had his brief stay with Rovers. Just days after returning to The Shots from Bristol his contract with them was terminated by mutual consent, leaving him free to re-join Plymouth Argyle, a club where he had been on loan some fourteen years earlier. Career stats Record against Rovers Guy has played against Bristol Rovers five times, spread over an 11-year period. After recording two wins and two draws against The Gas, he was finally on the losing side against them for the first time while on loan with Rotherham United in 2011. That game also saw his only sending off against a Bristol Rovers side. He was a member of the Peterborough United side that beat Rovers 4–1 in the opening game of the 2006–07 season which, despite the poor start, saw Rovers win promotion to League One via the playoffs. Category:Players Category:Defenders Category:Loaned players Category:9 January Category:Players born in 1979 Category:Players who joined in 2012 Category:Leicester City Category:Rushden & Diamonds Category:Colchester United Category:Plymouth Argyle Category:Lincoln City Category:Rotherham United Category:Wycombe Wanderers Category:Peterborough United Category:Sheffield Wednesday Category:Oldham Athletic Category:Rochdale Category:Northampton Town Category:Notts County Category:Kettering Town Category:Burton Albion Category:Torquay United Category:Bradford City Category:Aldershot Town